Further Studies of a Lake Breeze Part I: Observational Study

Abstract

The three-dimensional structure and behavior of a lake-land breeze circulation system induced by Lake Ontario for a selected 24 h period is presented. The structure is determined from observations made during the International Field Year of the Great Lakes. The case which has been studied occurred when the large-scale prevailing flow was blowing from the south at relatively low speeds. The study shows that the lake induces a broad belt of easterlies over the take in the afternoon and the early evening. It also indicates that the lake breeze is more likely to occur over the southwestern coastal regions than over the southeastern coastal regions. During the early morning hours, surface wind convergence occurs over the northeastern shoreline but not over the northwestern shoreline.